Mumbai, Dec 23 (IANS) Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the alliance between the two Thackeray cousins — Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena UBT) and Raj Thackeray (MNS) –is now official. Party MP Sanjay Raut confirmed the “Manomilan” (Union of Hearts), saying that the workers of both parties have wholeheartedly accepted the tie-up and are already working together on the ground.

“The ‘Manomilan’ (union of hearts) happened the moment the two brothers came together against the imposition of Hindi from grade one in schools across Maharashtra. The final touches were put on the seat-sharing arrangement last night,” Raut informed reporters. He added that while the alliance is a reality, a formal announcement regarding the specific seats will be made either later in the day or on Wednesday.

Raut revealed that the “Thackeray brothers” have reached an agreement, with a formal seat-sharing announcement expected imminently.

He stated that the groundwork for the coalition has been completed and emphasised that while coordinating for a large number of municipal bodies takes time, the core deal is finalised.

“The process of filing nominations for the municipal elections has begun. Our discussions regarding Nashik, Pune, Kalyan-Dombivli, and Mira-Bhayandar are complete. When dealing with so many corporations, it naturally takes some time. However, regarding the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), we must respect the sentiments of workers from both parties. Since alliances involve the exchange of certain seats, we are finalising those details. Candidate AB forms are already being distributed,” he said.

Raut further clarified that the question is no longer if they will partner, but rather how the seats will be divided. He claimed there is no internal friction regarding seat distribution, stating, “We have come together from the heart.”

He further said that the alliance was effectively sealed when Raj and Uddhav Thackeray appeared together in July against the state government’s move to introduce Hindi along with Marathi and English from grade one, adding that there is no discord over seat-sharing. “Instructions have been issued to party cadres, and there is no confusion among the workers regarding the alliance,” he added.

He further noted that the discussions are ongoing with Jayant Patil of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) to coordinate within the Maha Vikas Aghadi framework. While formal talks with the Congress are currently “closed,” Raut congratulated them on their success in recent local body polls. He hinted that the Sena(UBT) remains open to future cooperation with Congress if needed.

He took a dig at the Mahayuti partners and asked, “Why hasn’t the alliance between Eknath Shinde and the BJP been finalised yet? Why hasn’t the Ajit Pawar and BJP alliance been announced?” In contrast, he said the process between Shiv Sena(UBT) and MNS is complete.

Meanwhile, in Sewri, a key consensus has been reached where two seats will be contested by the Thackeray faction (UBT), while one seat has been allotted to the MNS. Although a tug-of-war continues over Ward No. 114 in Bhandup, Shiv Sena(UBT) sources indicate that both Uddhav and Raj Thackeray are personally intervening to resolve the remaining deadlocks. The overall seat-sharing formula for Mumbai is said to be nearly complete.

The observers said that the reunion of the Thackeray brothers — even if only political — marks a turning point in state politics. For years, the two have operated on different ends of the ideological and political spectrum. This strategic alliance aims to consolidate the Marathi vote bank, posing a direct challenge to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP.

–IANS

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